The Conservative MLAs of the Cariboo are calling on the B.C. government to do more to secure the future of the rail line between Squamish and Prince George.
On Wednesday, July 15, Cariboo-Chilcoltin MLA Lorne Doerkson and Prince George-North Cariboo MLA Sheldon Clare put out a joint statement criticizing the NDP for what they say is them “dragging their feet” on securing a new operator for the rail corridor. This statement comes two days after Mike Farnworth, the Minister of Transportation and Transit, put out a statement of his own on the rail line, pledging to keep it within the public trust.
“From Prince George to Quesnel, Williams Lake and beyond, communities rely on rail to support jobs and grow their economies,” Clare said. “The loss of this rail line should be a wake-up call.”
In July of 2025, CN Rail announced its intention to decommission the 344-kilometre rail corridor that exists between Squamish and 100 Mile House. This has led to widespread concern all across the railway that the rail ties would be torn up, severing a critical, if largely unused, transportation link to the Lower Mainland.
Since that announcement, MLAs like Clare and Doerkson have advocated for the preservation of the line. At the same time, municipalities along the route, like the District of 100 Mile House, have teamed up to do the same, supporting the work of private contractor Peter Scholz to find a small rail line operator to take over the track. Scholz has found such a company in the American-based Columbia Rail.
In their release, Doerkson and Clare call on Victoria, Ottawa and CN Rail to establish a public, expedited timeline for the Request for Proposals process and to find a qualified operator for freight and passenger service. They also want the government to ensure “continuity of rail operations during the transition” and protect the economic development opportunities tied to resource development and tourism linked to the rail line.
“New business opportunities are being stifled because of the lack of urgency from the NDP government,” Doerkson said. “Inaction will also have a devastating impact on tourism in the Interior.”
The Conservative Party of B.C.’s Shadow Minister of Transportation, Harman Bhangu, and Shadow Minister of Tourism, Bruce Banman, concurred with their Cariboo colleagues.
“The future of this rail corridor is on the line,” Bhangu said. “The government’s lack of action reinforces what local governments, businesses, and rail users have been warning for years. Losing critical rail infrastructure means losing opportunities for resource development, trade, and growth.”
Banman expressed particular concern that these delays could put tourism operations, such as the Rocky Mountaineer, at risk.
“Rail tourism brings visitors from around the world to experience British Columbia,” Banman said. “The uncertainty around this corridor puts future opportunities at risk for operators like Rocky Mountaineer, which has helped showcase communities like Quesnel internationally.”